“Pigeonholed” by Jo Palasi, part of The Art of Photography Show 

Every once in a while, a week filled with cool art shows will come and, despite my best attempts to clone myself, I can’t get to them all because my brother decides to have a birthday. This week, there are two photography exhibitions that I’m very excited to see. Since I’m an utter failure in the science of cloning, I’ll have to figure out a way to get to both.

The U.S. / Mexico border fence is the main subject in Acerca de la Cerca, or About the Fence, a photography and installation-art exhibition opening with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at Mesa College Art Gallery (7250 Mesa College Drive in Kearny Mesa). San Diego and Tijuana artists Carmela Castrejon, Maria Teresa Fernandez, Paul Turounet and Ana Teresa Fernandez will address the social impact of the fence in interesting ways. For instance, Turounet is using pieces from the fence taken from Border State Park to build a 10-by- 40-foot steel wall, which will bear portraits he took of migrants attempting to cross the border. Powerful stuff. 

God bless The Art of Photography Show for its ongoing capacity to give talented photographers the exposure they need to advance in their career and, for a lucky 15, some sweet prize money. Fifteen winners will walk away with up $2,000. Whoa! Do they accept submissions of sandwich photos? ’Cause I’ve got a few. The free opening reception, happening at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park (1439 El Prado), is a chance to see the best in international emerging photographic art, including pieces by San Diegans Vince Baworouski, Jo Kami, Dana Neibert, Jo Palasi and Olivia Sibley.